Dean's World

While I don't much care for Walmart myself, more for personal reasons than political, is there any proof that Walmart actually causes smaller retailers to close? I've never seen any evidence of that, either through personal experience or through credible research on the subject (not to mention that anything that shows they pay their employees significantly lower than anywhere else they might work). In fact, in the town I live in, many smaller businesses have sprang up after Walmart came, and many of the older ones are still in business, despite the fact that some of them probably shouldn't be.

For example, because I typically try to avoid shopping at Walmart, I went to a local, family-owned hardware store to buy fixtures for my bathroom sink. I showed up shortly after 3pm on a Saturday, and the place was already closed, so I ended up going to Walmart.

Another example: I needed a part for my computer, and went to a local computer store. After waiting 20 minutes in an empty store for any employee to even notice me, I ended buying the part for $10-$20 more than I could have bought it at Walmart. I knew I was paying more, and was ok with it at the time, so no big deal. But then when I found out I bought the wrong part and returned it, I was charged a 20% restocking fee. That's 20% extra on a part that was already priced higher than I could have gotten it elsewhere.

If these two stores went out of business, it wouldn't upset me (that is, if I even noticed). However, these two stores are still open, despite the presence of a Walmart nearby that provides better service, cheaper prices, better hours, and no restocking fees.

Again, I have no love for Walmart, but the more I shop local businesses, the more I'm glad to have one around.

I salute this man, Mr. Walton, for his heroism in War. I salute every one of our brave men and women who have given or risked their lives, are now risking their lives, or are standing ready to risk their lives, for our freedom. God bless America and victory to our heroes.

Wow! What an impressive tour of duty. Godspeed, Mr. Walton.

Hank Barnes

My point of posting this article was to highlight my own biases and how they often sway my opinion without just cause. Walton was a hero - a patriot - and the death of any patriot should be mourned. My bias almost prevented me from understanding that.

We could argue at length about WalMart another time. Suffice it to say for now that my beef with WalMart is from the strategic side: buying Chinese goods finances the Chinese military. Most of the large businesses in the PRC are owned by the gov't, and the gov't believes the following:

1. It is an adversary of the United States.
2. Taiwan is a "rebel province" supported by the United States.
3. Trade is a "zero-sum" game. Our dependence on Chinese goods weakens us.

That is the view of the Chinese government, and businessmen often ignore this when they are pursuing profit.

The pursuit of profit is an amoral objective; it can be good, and it can be bad. I believe that American business's infatuation with Communist China is bad for our country.

Nah. The persuit of profit can be profoundly immoral--and profit gained through violence or by non-violence, with honesty or dishonesty. It is not inherently moral or immoral, it's how you go about it.

That is the view of the Chinese government, and businessmen often ignore this when they are pursuing profit.

Then blame the American people as a whole - most of whom shop at Wal-Mart. Most Americans, I would guess from the publicity, know where Wal-Mart gets its merchandise, yet they're happy to go and buy it. Wal-Mart is giving America what it wants. And that company that costs the American taxpayer 1.5 billion a year in healthcare costs puts many multiples more billions in to the American economy.

1% of the GDP if I remember correctly. A massive sum.

I know this was not the point of your post. So, maybe you shouldn't have made it a point to say how much you hate Wal-Mart.

Well, here is my salute to Mr Walton, for his service during the Vietnam war. here is a man, who could have chosen to run away to Canada, or use his family'soney and power to buy his way out of serving, but didnt.
And nwo to Walmart. I have worked in the independent retail field for a few years now. Yes, there are mom-n-pop stores that dont provide the best service. However, it is not WalMart's fault that they are growing. Blame the American customer for that. Most people want products as cheap as they can possibly get, and they do not patronise shops, even if they are locally owned, and have been part of a community for a long time. getting things at the cheapest price possible, and a willingness to not care about anything else is what is making WalMart grow. Heck, just today, I was at our local WalMart, and who do I see there? One of my town's most prominent, leftist, activists. he and his group are involved i n trying th get WalMart kicked out of the adjoining town. But, hey, when he wanted to buy a new lawnmower, he and his partner were right in that Walmart, tryin to find a Toro cheaper than anyplace else!!!!!!!!!!

don't have the same elitist suspicion of unions as you do.

Ahhhh yes. Good comeback Scott. Make the "argument" that I am an elitist.

I am certianly not. I also come from a very union family - a union family that served me well, mind you.

That does not mean that I haven't been too blind to see that unions do nothing for workers nowadays but spend their dues on politics. Not getting better deals in the workplace. Do you honestly believe that if a union came into Wal-Mart that Wal-Mart would be better off?

Crazy. Many, many Wal-Marts would go under. Many tens of thousands would lose their jobs.

And I'm the elitist.

Unions spend their money on politics.

But you can dismiss that as elitist if you want. I guess if that's the best "argument" you can make.